I'm planning on making a pizza this weekend and would like to use our bread machine to make the flour. The given recipe calls for bread flour but all we have is all-purpose flour, so does anyone have an idea of how using it instead of bread flour will affect the crust? It'll probably be a pan-style pizza so the crust will have some thickness. Thanks!

I'm planning on making a pizza this weekend and would like to use our bread machine to make the flour. The given recipe calls for bread flour but all we have is all-purpose flour, so does anyone have an idea of how using it instead of bread flour will affect the crust? It'll probably be a pan-style pizza so the crust will have some thickness. Thanks!

This one I can answer as I am quite familiar with bread flour. Bread flour will produce more of a French bread type texture that's a bit more stiff and perhaps drier sense about it than all purpose. So if a French bread experience is what you're after, that's one way to go. However, bread flour can be quite the workout as it so elastic it takes a lot of work to stretch it out and stay to the size you want it. All purpose yields something more of a softer textured, "cake-like" appeal and it is considerably easier to roll out. I'm guessing you would be happier with all-purpose. That's my favored choice as well. Can't wait to see it!

Thanks, guys! We do have a good pizza place in town and my younger daughter's boyfriend used to work there, so maybe I could score some dough that way. Who knows, maybe even land a gig selling grilled pizza 1 night a week!

I want to add some dried herbs and herb-infused olive oil to the crust this time so I could use a packaged dough mix, but I've never tried dough with the bread machine before and am interested to see how it turns out.

I like the infused oil idea. Are you using traditional toppings? I have tried to minimalize toppings latley. My favorite is Sweet Italian sausage, articoke, and thin sliced onion. I also do a cajun pizza with blackened shrimp, thin sliced Andouille, and onion.

Thanks, guys! We do have a good pizza place in town and my younger daughter's boyfriend used to work there, so maybe I could score some dough that way. Who knows, maybe even land a gig selling grilled pizza 1 night a week!

I want to add some dried herbs and herb-infused olive oil to the crust this time so I could use a packaged dough mix, but I've never tried dough with the bread machine before and am interested to see how it turns out.

Brad, considering your options, perhaps I can share... Many moon ago when I worked in a pizzeria restaurant, there were folks who came in seeking to buy the dough. And it was a good one. So that sounds like one good way to go for a quick dough. Alternatively, if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they sell a decent dough as well, one variety of which also features incorporated garlic and herbs.

As for boxed varieties, many of those produce quick breads, i.e. they're made to rise with double acting baking powder, and not yeast as all. So I don't think you'd want your bread machine for that.

Seeing your desire to try the herbs in your dough, I can offer a simple, basic formula to make a dough that serves very well. Coincidentally I always incorporate an extra tsp of crushed oregano in my doughs... luv the stuff and what it does to and for the dough. Here goes:

With instant yeast, you do not need to "proof" it or any of that stuff. Simply mix the dry ingredients. Add your water and mix/knead that up until all the flour and water are a consistent mass. Then add your oil and mix that in and knead until proper consistency.

... a simple, basic formula to make a dough that serves very well. Coincidentally I always incorporate an extra tsp of crushed oregano in my doughs... luv the stuff and what it does to and for the dough. Here goes:

With instant yeast, you do not need to "proof" it or any of that stuff. Simply mix the dry ingredients. Add your water and mix/knead that up until all the flour and water are a consistent mass. Then add your oil and mix that in and knead until proper consistency.

^^^We use a soft pretzel dough recipe for pizza dough that I think is almost exactly the same... in other words, if you have more dough than you need, breadsticks are a great way to use up the extra.